I think what he means is that between the two Florida franchises, the Panthers seem to own the sun/palm tree imagery.
It does seem a little odd to feature a sunny beach in a logo for an all star game being hosted by a team called the Lightning.

While the font change is definitely and upgrade, on the whole these are even worse than what they were wearing before.
The old look was a template-y mess, but at least it was a template designed for the Edge jerseys. Now the side panels don't even connect with the underarm panel. It's just a floating blob of colour.
I also thought the collars might look better in full gear, but they really don't.

I'm liking the simplicity of the O by itself at center ice. I can't tell from the picture, but hopefully they've gotten rid of the 3D centurion inside the red line.
It reminds me a bit of the Yotes old ice, the way the logo fills the whole circle:

I'd agree with you in most cases (I never got used to saying Scotiabank Place), but seeing as TD Place is a complex that includes both an outdoor stadium & an indoor arena I'd consider it an exception.

The team website is now also putting emphasis on the =O= logo. Seems like they're finally listening to the backlash they've been getting for not making any major changes.
Based on all the hints they're giving now, I wouldn't be surprised if they make the change official before the end of this season. I highly doubt fans will be busting down the doors to buy the Adizero messes anyway.

Ottawa did mention an interest in updating their look, but I think they were too late to make any major changes for this coming season. We may finally see them get rid of the Edge template for '18-19.
My hope is they wear an updated heritage uniform for the NHL100 outdoor game, then use it as the basis for the new set.

Those would be alright if they go with blue numbers, names, and pants.
Based on the home, I really hope they've decided to eliminate the black from their set (besides logos). Considering how much emphasis they've put on honoring the past uniforms though, the black is probably sticking around.

That's why the alternate logo from the old thirds is perfect. It incorporates the wheat field & mountains from the flag's crest, but uses the teams actual colour scheme. Much better than a contrasting flag slapped onto the shoulder.
The Canadian flag might bother me even more than the Alberta one. There are 7 teams in Canada, 2 of which are named after people from Canada, and another 2 that have a maple leaf front and centre on their primary logo. Sure, the red & white flag isn't as gaudy on the Flames' jersey as the provincial one, but it is still a worse kind of pandering (I hate the idea of any NHL team being called "Canada's team").